Okay my fellow adults! I've finally broken down and purchased that funky Turning Board thing from Discount Dance. I will practice at home. I've been working on trying to get consistent doubles for years and now I have resorted to gimmicks. Anyone tried this thing with success?

Connection to/Interest in Ballet:Dancer, balletomane, Faculty advisor/member of childrens' school

Posted 25 November 2011 - 10:38 PM

I love this tool. However, don't expect that it'll help you miraculously have multiple turns. I found that with me (and my classmates) that what it really helps is
1.) Getting over fear of multiple rotations. If you're turning on this thing, it's going no matter what since there's no friction. 2.) Spotting.. because you're turning multiple rotations, it forces you to spot so your body doesn't lose track of itself and fall off the board. 3.) it helps you to learn to stay on your leg and not to buckle your knee, which I guess is just a sub category of "fear of rotation", 4.) Reminds you to keep your body in semi alignment, especially your butt and upper body. If it's off, the turn will basically cause you to "spill" off the little plastic platform.
I loved the turning board, I felt like it was a piece of the entire package that helped me achieve multiple turns. Be careful with it though, it's quite dangerous depending on the surface of the floor you're using it on. It becomes quite the skidding deathtrap.

I plan on using it in my apartment on carpet. I also have purchased those rotating disc things (the things people use in therapy and also in the dance studios to test true turn-out). I plan on turning on these things also.

Yeah that "fear of rotation" thing may be a hurdle. Last night I was practicing turning on low demi-pointe in my Capezio pointe shoes (their soles are slippery enough to spin on carpet!) and I was getting one and a half times to one and three quarter times around and I became sick to my stomach. Once I get my multiples my body is going to have to adjust internally most definitely ;')